ld a place not much inferior
to that which Mahomet held among the faithful. But he spoke the truth
when he said, 'So far as I know myself, I have no more concern for the
reputation of Methodism than for the reputation of Prester John.'[731]
When he heard of accusations being brought against him of 'shackling
free-born Englishmen' and of 'doing no less than making himself a Pope,'
he defended his power with an artless simplicity which was very
characteristic of the man. 'If,' he said, 'you mean by arbitrary power a
power which I exercise singly, without any colleague therein, this is
certainly true; but I see no harm in it. Arbitrary in this sense is a
very harmless word. I bear this burden merely for your sakes.' It is a
defence which one could fancy an Eastern tyrant making for the most
rigorous of 'paternal governments.' But Wesley was no tyrant; he had no
selfish end in view; it was literally 'for their sakes' that he ruled as
he did; and since he was infinitely superior to the mass of his subjects
(one can use no weaker term) in point of education, learning, and good
judgment, it was to their advantage that he did so.

At any rate a Churchman may be pardoned for thinking this, for one
effect of his unbounded influence was to prevent his followers from
separating from the Church. His sentiments on this point were so
constantly and so emphatically expressed that the only difficulty
consists in selecting the most suitable specimens. Perhaps the best plan
will be to quote a few passages in chronological order, written at
different periods of his life, to show how unalterable his opinions were
on this point, however much he might alter them in others. At the very
first Conference--in 1744, only six years after his conversion--we find
him declaring (for of course the dicta of Conference were simply his own
dicta), 'We believe the body of our hearers will even after our death
remain in the Church, unless they are thrust out. They will either be
thrust out or leaven the Church.' A few years later, 'In visiting
classes ask everyone, "Do you go to church as often as you did?" Set the
example and immediately alter any plan that interfereth therewith. Are
we not unawares, by little and little, tending to a separation from the
Church? Oh, remove every tendency thereto with all diligence. Receive
the Sacrament at every opportunity. Warn all against niceness in
hearing, a great and prevailing evil; against calling our society a
Ch